The UFO encounter reportedly took place in Taize, France in 1972, and was witnessed by several “Christian youth” who were at a retreat. According to Science Channel:

During the retreat they reported seeing an object land on a hillside and emit solid beams of light for more than two hours. Some walked closer to the object and shined their flashlights, but the beams of their flashlights bent as if being repelled by the object. Investigators were never able to determine exactly what the object was and the mystery remains unsolved to this day.

Close Encounters is a new addition to Science Channel that premiered during the channel’s alien-themed Are We Alone? week at the beginning of March. Although the series already aired in Canada, Close Encounters made its U.S. debut at Open Minds’ 2014 International UFO Congress.

Science Channel describes, “Close Encounters explores the countless UFO sightings which are reported from thousands of regions worldwide. Many of these sightings are documented and investigated, and can be accounted for by weather patterns, flight schedules or extraordinary imagination. But a select few are still considered unsolved extraterrestrial puzzles that police investigators, government officials and even medical communities cannot explain.”

The episode exploring the 1972 sighting in France airs Tuesday, March 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

]]>http://www.openminds.tv/daily-ufo-headlines-32014/26599/feed0‘Earth to Echo’ trailer reveils mechanical alienhttp://www.openminds.tv/earth-echo-trailer-reveils-mechanical-alien/26603
http://www.openminds.tv/earth-echo-trailer-reveils-mechanical-alien/26603#respondWed, 19 Mar 2014 23:11:05 +0000http://www.openminds.tv/?p=26603A full trailer for the upcoming extraterrestrial-themed film Earth to Echo was released on Wednesday, March 19.

Earth to Echo poster. (Credit: Walt Disney Studios)

The plot of this movie might sound familiar. Movie news website /Film states, “Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: suburban kids who like to ride bikes find a cute little alien, then try to help the little guy get home even as adult Earth authorities close in on their discovery.” Based on the preview alone, there appears to be hints of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, The Goonies, and Super 8. And maybe even a little Batteries Not Included too, because the extraterrestrial appears to be some sort of intelligent robot.

The film’s full synopsis details:

After a construction project begins digging in their neighborhood, best friends Tuck, Munch and Alex inexplicably begin to receive strange, encoded messages on their cell phones. Convinced something bigger is going on, they go to their parents and the authorities. When everyone around them refuses to take the messages seriously, the three embark on a secret adventure to crack the code and follow it to its source. But taking matters into their own hands gets the trio in way over their heads when they discover a mysterious being from another world who desperately needs their help. The epic, suspenseful and exciting journey that follows will change all of their lives forever.

This movie is yet another addition to the found-footage genre. In the film, the kids decide to document their adventure, so the illusion is created that everything the viewer sees on screen was filmed by the kids.

According to the International Business Times, the CW network’s new teen drama is similar to the network’s Vampire Diaries. But in the new show, Star Crossed, the vampires have been replaced with aliens.

The network’s website provides the following summary of the new series:

When Emery was 6 years old, an alien spacecraft crash-landed in her small town. Whether they came in peace or with more sinister intentions didn’t matter: a fierce battle erupted as humans fought for control over their new rivals, an alien species called the Atrians. In the midst of the conflict, Roman, a 6-year-old Atrian boy, found his way to a shed behind Emery’s house, where she protected him from harm, bringing him food, comfort – and friendship. In their brief time together, Emery and Roman forged a deep bond, but the authorities wasted no time tracking Roman down and capturing him in a violent confrontation. Emery has grown up believing that Roman was killed that day. Ten years later, the Atrians have been acclimated to life on Earth, but they are interned in a heavily-guarded camp known as the Sector to keep them separate from humans. Now, for the first time, a group of Atrian teens will enroll in a suburban human high school, with the goal of testing the feasibility of human/alien integration. The eyes of the nation and the whole world are fixed on this historical social experiment, an endeavor fraught with suspicion and fear. In the mayhem of the first day, Emery is amazed to learn that Roman was not killed by the authorities and is, in fact, one of the Atrian students. Their childhood bond is quickly rekindled – in a school and a society that distrusts everything about the Atrians, Emery and Roman have found each other again. However, their relationship is threatened by the small-mindedness of their respective communities and the political agendas of people in power. While the world around them rages with anger and prejudice, their bond becomes increasingly strong and increasingly dangerous. As an epic Romeo and Juliet romance unfolds, a violent encounter between Roman’s father and Emery’s father occurs in the Sector. Can Roman and Emery’s love – and peace between the species – survive?

The New York Post describes Star Crossed as “ET meets Romeo & Juliet,” but adds, “hopefully with a better ending for its two protagonists.” The Post also explains that this show will “appeal to the network’s core audience of younger viewers with its moody vibe and opposites-attract motif.”